ok, so you know how i have that severe book addiction? well, i just discovered that the bookstore on campus has a pretty great selection (i was going to hit branch's later, but then remembered that i signed the car-free day pledge)--i took a quick break to pick up the new lemony snicket and came back w/ a.l. kennedy's book of short stories (which i haven't been able to find anywhere!) and an order for david mitchell's cloud atlas (which seems sure to win the booker prize). they also have a pretty good graphic novel section, though my loyalty remains to second foundation.
having a pretty good selection a one-minute walk from my workplace is definitely going to cause me some financial problems.
i don't mind living on macaroni and cheese though, as long as i have good books to read. i can't wait to get home now!!!
(don't think i'm a total social reject, though--i'm probably going to see hero tonight, finally.)
in work-related news, i tried to convince the library head to order some magnetic fields (b/c, you know, the guy who writes the lemony snicket books is in magnetic fields) but i don't think he trusts my judgment. :)
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
jon stewart's america
hey, the daily show book came out today. the reviews on amazon are pretty hilarious--here are my favorites so far:
Reviewer: D@N (Sn Jose, CRC) - See all my reviews
I rated this 1 star because I have not read this book yet and cannot make a comment on it. What I do find interesting is the fact that the book is named after a CONTINENT and yet it's all about the United States (who's flag in on the cover). I find this extremely insulting to all true Americans; from Canada to Chile, Argentina and everywhere between. I'm sure it's a good book, but they should've called it USA.
Reviewer: BanBush-PromoteShaving "kabalevski" (IL -USA) - See all my reviews
.. i'm sure glad they canned that kilbourn guy....
.... this book kicks ass -- but.. have you ever read it... on weeeeeeed?
there are also some more-serious reviews of the book that use phrases like "government bureaucracy and the execution of democratic principles."
Reviewer: D@N (Sn Jose, CRC) - See all my reviews
I rated this 1 star because I have not read this book yet and cannot make a comment on it. What I do find interesting is the fact that the book is named after a CONTINENT and yet it's all about the United States (who's flag in on the cover). I find this extremely insulting to all true Americans; from Canada to Chile, Argentina and everywhere between. I'm sure it's a good book, but they should've called it USA.
Reviewer: BanBush-PromoteShaving "kabalevski" (IL -USA) - See all my reviews
.. i'm sure glad they canned that kilbourn guy....
.... this book kicks ass -- but.. have you ever read it... on weeeeeeed?
there are also some more-serious reviews of the book that use phrases like "government bureaucracy and the execution of democratic principles."
Sunday, September 19, 2004
book 88
david maine's the preservationist
so, this is just pretty much a straight novelation/retelling of the noah's ark story. like the red tent, but (slightly) less female-centric. also, the word "rut" is used a lot, and maine uses dashes instead of quotation marks to indicate dialogue (which annoys me. is it meant to show antiquity? like, this story is so old, it PRECEDES quotation marks!). anyway, it's not like this book was bad or anything--the first bits had some humor, and all the wives are pretty great characters. still, there's not much you can do when you're adapting a biblical story. i mean, noah's got to get drunk and naked in there at some point.
so, this is just pretty much a straight novelation/retelling of the noah's ark story. like the red tent, but (slightly) less female-centric. also, the word "rut" is used a lot, and maine uses dashes instead of quotation marks to indicate dialogue (which annoys me. is it meant to show antiquity? like, this story is so old, it PRECEDES quotation marks!). anyway, it's not like this book was bad or anything--the first bits had some humor, and all the wives are pretty great characters. still, there's not much you can do when you're adapting a biblical story. i mean, noah's got to get drunk and naked in there at some point.
Saturday, September 18, 2004
other blogs talking about comics
bryan lee o'malley (of scott pilgrim fame) posted a link to a blog entry comparing his two graphic novels. personally, i could have done w/ a little less of the blog-writers's introspection, but i imagine if i wrote real reviews they would probably be just as me-me-me. actually, my favorite part of the entry is bryan o'malley's comment--be sure to scroll down and read it.
i'll point out here that lost at sea and scott pilgrim are two of my favorite graphic novels, probably for similar reason's to this girl's--who hasn't ever felt out of place, adrift, soulless, especially as a teenager, and who can't enjoy scott pilgrim's adorable, wacky, lovely little life?
i was trying to decide which one i liked better, or would recommend more to someone. lost at sea makes me cry and scott pilgrim makes me laugh. i'm not sure which is better . . .
i'll point out here that lost at sea and scott pilgrim are two of my favorite graphic novels, probably for similar reason's to this girl's--who hasn't ever felt out of place, adrift, soulless, especially as a teenager, and who can't enjoy scott pilgrim's adorable, wacky, lovely little life?
i was trying to decide which one i liked better, or would recommend more to someone. lost at sea makes me cry and scott pilgrim makes me laugh. i'm not sure which is better . . .
Friday, September 17, 2004
book 87
jincy willett's winner of the national book award
how thrilled was i to see that this book had come out in paperback this week? not just because it was the subject of a question in book nerd trivial pursuit (sadly, not a question i got, though i did smirk and say, "ooh, this is on my amazon wishlist!"), but because i'd heard such great things about it. and it really lived up to all the raves. it's about twin sisters--the narrator is a librarian (seriously, what's with all the librarians in my books lately? i swear it's not deliberate--is it a sign that i'm on the right career path? ;) ) and her sister is a larger-than-life sensual mailwoman. we find out early on that the narrator's sister has killed her husband, and then it's just a great novel--really fun, and even the secondary characters are hilarious and loveable, or hate-able--to show us how and why this came about. really, i couldn't wait till tomorrow to see how it ended.
oh yeah--the title refers to all the writers and wannabe writers that appear in the book.
some things are better than a good night's sleep.
how thrilled was i to see that this book had come out in paperback this week? not just because it was the subject of a question in book nerd trivial pursuit (sadly, not a question i got, though i did smirk and say, "ooh, this is on my amazon wishlist!"), but because i'd heard such great things about it. and it really lived up to all the raves. it's about twin sisters--the narrator is a librarian (seriously, what's with all the librarians in my books lately? i swear it's not deliberate--is it a sign that i'm on the right career path? ;) ) and her sister is a larger-than-life sensual mailwoman. we find out early on that the narrator's sister has killed her husband, and then it's just a great novel--really fun, and even the secondary characters are hilarious and loveable, or hate-able--to show us how and why this came about. really, i couldn't wait till tomorrow to see how it ended.
oh yeah--the title refers to all the writers and wannabe writers that appear in the book.
some things are better than a good night's sleep.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
book 86
ellen gilchrist's the courts of love
this was the first collection of gilchrist's stories i ever read, the one that inspired me to go get her collected stories and some of her other books. and a lot of the stories hold up on second reading, especially most of the nora jane stories (the first ten stories all revolve around a character named nora jane and her family) and the two stories that deal with animals (a small bear and a badly injured dog, respectively). the animal ones are actually my favorites--she really captures the complex emotions between people and their dogs. or maybe it's just that i like dogs a lot.
this was the first collection of gilchrist's stories i ever read, the one that inspired me to go get her collected stories and some of her other books. and a lot of the stories hold up on second reading, especially most of the nora jane stories (the first ten stories all revolve around a character named nora jane and her family) and the two stories that deal with animals (a small bear and a badly injured dog, respectively). the animal ones are actually my favorites--she really captures the complex emotions between people and their dogs. or maybe it's just that i like dogs a lot.
attention geeks!
well, if star wars fans fall into the "geek" category.
anyway, the october issue of sound and vision magazine has an interview w/ george lucas, done by carrie fisher. i like carrie fisher, and her introduction is unsurprisingly humorous, and of course she does deviate some from the questions s&v gave her to ask him (which is the lamest thing ever--and these questions are sooo lame).
i will warn you that there is a really gross anecdote about her father's sex life and medical supplies, so read it at your own risk.
anyway, the october issue of sound and vision magazine has an interview w/ george lucas, done by carrie fisher. i like carrie fisher, and her introduction is unsurprisingly humorous, and of course she does deviate some from the questions s&v gave her to ask him (which is the lamest thing ever--and these questions are sooo lame).
i will warn you that there is a really gross anecdote about her father's sex life and medical supplies, so read it at your own risk.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
an addiction is born
Today I would like to tell the story of how I got into comic books. It’s not that I didn’t read comics as a kid—I read all the Archie-type books, and my brother’s Batmans and X-Mens. But in retrospect, I can safely say that most of those comics sucked in the mid-80s, and so I didn’t get all that excited about it.
When I was in high school—I think sophomore year or so, when I was just 16—I had this totally geeky friend, Jason F. He was really into musical theater and comic books—like, sooo embarrassingly nerdy! Of course, this was the height of my Rocky Horror/Goth phase (*cringe* don't laugh!), and he was a Rocky-goer, so we hung out sometimes. One time I was over at his place, probably making fun of his comics, when he told me I didn’t know what I was talking about. “Just read this, and see if it’s stupid!” he said, and handed me the Dark Knight Returns (I originally wrote “threw” there, to highlight his exasperation, but I am fairly sure he took good care of his comics and would not have thrown them, ever).
I was totally blown away by the story—it was so DARK and interesting, and best of all, Robin was a GIRL! “Are there other comics like this?” I asked as he dragged me away to wherever we were going that day. I never did read the end of that comic until I got my own copy years later.
Since those were the dawn-days of the internet (did I still have a Prodigy account then, even?), I searched around online until I found Jeff Mason’s site. Back then, Indy Magazine was mostly a mail-order comic book business. I emailed Jeff asked if he knew about any comics that had girls in them, as main characters, maybe even real-ish girls, and if he did, could he mail them to my best friend’s house? (I had some inkling that my mother would think reading comic books was too weird for a teenage girl.)
By the way, i paid for all this with babysitting cash wrapped in notebook paper, so no one could see that the envelope was full of money and steal it.
He kindly mailed me the first issues of Strangers in Paradise and Action Girl, some Paul Pope THB stories, and some minicomics (also, the Crow graphic novel—like I said, I was trying the Goth thing). SiP and AG especially amazed me-—Sarah Dyer’s column in the back of AG even listed LOTS of comics that had girls in them! But fearing parental disapproval, I didn’t actively seek out too many more comics.
Until I got to college! My friend Guttridge from high school also went to PSU, and took me with him one day to the fabulous Comic Swap (he was getting some Tin Tin stuff). I sort of looked around and then hesitantly asked the bald, sunglasses-wearing guy behind the counter what he thought girls might like. He helped me find the first SiP trade and also suggested Sandman and Squee and, of course, Love and Rockets. After that, I went almost every week to get more recommendations from Damon and Kris, and even started drawing my own little comics in my journal.
Then, of course, came my 15 minutes of fame processing the Murray Collection at Duke and my newfound allegiance to Second Foundation/Chapel Hill Comics.
Now I’m working on parlaying all of this comic book geekery into a career, or at least a final project for my reference class. :)
When I was in high school—I think sophomore year or so, when I was just 16—I had this totally geeky friend, Jason F. He was really into musical theater and comic books—like, sooo embarrassingly nerdy! Of course, this was the height of my Rocky Horror/Goth phase (*cringe* don't laugh!), and he was a Rocky-goer, so we hung out sometimes. One time I was over at his place, probably making fun of his comics, when he told me I didn’t know what I was talking about. “Just read this, and see if it’s stupid!” he said, and handed me the Dark Knight Returns (I originally wrote “threw” there, to highlight his exasperation, but I am fairly sure he took good care of his comics and would not have thrown them, ever).
I was totally blown away by the story—it was so DARK and interesting, and best of all, Robin was a GIRL! “Are there other comics like this?” I asked as he dragged me away to wherever we were going that day. I never did read the end of that comic until I got my own copy years later.
Since those were the dawn-days of the internet (did I still have a Prodigy account then, even?), I searched around online until I found Jeff Mason’s site. Back then, Indy Magazine was mostly a mail-order comic book business. I emailed Jeff asked if he knew about any comics that had girls in them, as main characters, maybe even real-ish girls, and if he did, could he mail them to my best friend’s house? (I had some inkling that my mother would think reading comic books was too weird for a teenage girl.)
By the way, i paid for all this with babysitting cash wrapped in notebook paper, so no one could see that the envelope was full of money and steal it.
He kindly mailed me the first issues of Strangers in Paradise and Action Girl, some Paul Pope THB stories, and some minicomics (also, the Crow graphic novel—like I said, I was trying the Goth thing). SiP and AG especially amazed me-—Sarah Dyer’s column in the back of AG even listed LOTS of comics that had girls in them! But fearing parental disapproval, I didn’t actively seek out too many more comics.
Until I got to college! My friend Guttridge from high school also went to PSU, and took me with him one day to the fabulous Comic Swap (he was getting some Tin Tin stuff). I sort of looked around and then hesitantly asked the bald, sunglasses-wearing guy behind the counter what he thought girls might like. He helped me find the first SiP trade and also suggested Sandman and Squee and, of course, Love and Rockets. After that, I went almost every week to get more recommendations from Damon and Kris, and even started drawing my own little comics in my journal.
Then, of course, came my 15 minutes of fame processing the Murray Collection at Duke and my newfound allegiance to Second Foundation/Chapel Hill Comics.
Now I’m working on parlaying all of this comic book geekery into a career, or at least a final project for my reference class. :)
philip roth
the new philip roth book is coming out in october, and after perusing the lengthy excerpt from the guardian (link via bookslut), i have to say that i'm really looking forward to reading it. i'm not a die-hard roth fan by any means, but his reimagining of america looks dead interesting.
meanwhile, i've been re-reading some ellen gilchrist, but her anti-arab stereotypes are annoying me even more than last time. sometimes it's hard to get past them into the meat of the story.
hopefully i'll be picking up some of your recommendations soon! i'm really excited to check out some of them . . .
music library tidbit of the day: here, CMJ stands not for college music journal, the magazine of college radio stations everwhere, but for computer music journal, which is published through MIT. vive la difference!
ps forgot to post this yesterday: a huge YAY for arcade fire's 9.7 on pitchfork! yes, the cd IS that amazing, and the live shows are even more so. come back soon, arcade fire!
meanwhile, i've been re-reading some ellen gilchrist, but her anti-arab stereotypes are annoying me even more than last time. sometimes it's hard to get past them into the meat of the story.
hopefully i'll be picking up some of your recommendations soon! i'm really excited to check out some of them . . .
music library tidbit of the day: here, CMJ stands not for college music journal, the magazine of college radio stations everwhere, but for computer music journal, which is published through MIT. vive la difference!
ps forgot to post this yesterday: a huge YAY for arcade fire's 9.7 on pitchfork! yes, the cd IS that amazing, and the live shows are even more so. come back soon, arcade fire!
Monday, September 13, 2004
the best academic journal ever
is called popular music. volume 23 issue 2 is a particularly entertaining specimen, featuring stories on living troubadours, "'so slide over here': the aesthetics of masculinity in late twentieth-century australian pop music," and one on "the current status of world music in the UK," which informs us that the WOMAD festival had "a delightful 'vibe.'"
there are also some really interesting book reviews. the music library, unfortunately, does not currently have the last party: britpop, blair, and the demise of english rock, but we do have caetano veloso's tropical truth: a story of music & revolution in brazil.
my job is fun!
there are also some really interesting book reviews. the music library, unfortunately, does not currently have the last party: britpop, blair, and the demise of english rock, but we do have caetano veloso's tropical truth: a story of music & revolution in brazil.
my job is fun!
Saturday, September 11, 2004
ny times/spiegelman/etc
the new york times offers a pretty dead-on commentary of the new spiegelman book.
also, they have a great article on isaac bashevis singer, whose collected stories (three volumes of 'em!) are due out soon. i'm afraid to look the price up . . .
also, they have a great article on isaac bashevis singer, whose collected stories (three volumes of 'em!) are due out soon. i'm afraid to look the price up . . .
Friday, September 10, 2004
book 85
ariel gore's atlas of the human heart
aimee recommended this book to me a few weeks ago, and i finally picked my ordered copy up today and pretty much read it straight through. basically, it's a memoir of gore's teen years, where she picked up and went to china, and then traveled the world. it's all very heart-wrenching and beautiful and hard. my only complaint is that occasionally she'll, like, define words (the derivation of "free" comes up a few times). is this to highlight her youthful thoughts? it does read like a bad freshman comp paper, where they have to write about materialism or something, and their introductions will all say, "what is materialism? webster's dictionary defines materialism as . . . "
but otherwise, it's really a riveting story, and sort of horrifying because it's true. when aimee recommended it, she said she thought it was a good book about turning points, and would be a good read for someone starting something new in life. i think this is an accurate assessment.
aimee recommended this book to me a few weeks ago, and i finally picked my ordered copy up today and pretty much read it straight through. basically, it's a memoir of gore's teen years, where she picked up and went to china, and then traveled the world. it's all very heart-wrenching and beautiful and hard. my only complaint is that occasionally she'll, like, define words (the derivation of "free" comes up a few times). is this to highlight her youthful thoughts? it does read like a bad freshman comp paper, where they have to write about materialism or something, and their introductions will all say, "what is materialism? webster's dictionary defines materialism as . . . "
but otherwise, it's really a riveting story, and sort of horrifying because it's true. when aimee recommended it, she said she thought it was a good book about turning points, and would be a good read for someone starting something new in life. i think this is an accurate assessment.
art spiegelman/in the shadow of no towers
i finally got the art spiegelman book this morning, and once my sangria-making misadventures had ceased, i sat down to read it. now, first let me say that it's one of the most visually arresting books i've ever seen--it's large-format, with thick caroard pages like a kid's book, and his strips appear sideways, so they're just the right size. it's great to have them in a book--you can really notice the details of the art more than you could in a newspaper or on his powerpoint presentation. plus, the content is incredible--the few strips i hadn't read were really compelling, and the second half of the book contains an essay about him finding solace in old newspaper strips (very similar to his talk at duke), along with full-scale examples of the strips that inspired him.
i basically think everyone should go buy this book, b/c not only is it the new art spiegelman, but it's really important to reflect on the issues he raises in these heady pre-election months. great timing, art!
i basically think everyone should go buy this book, b/c not only is it the new art spiegelman, but it's really important to reflect on the issues he raises in these heady pre-election months. great timing, art!
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
book 84
holy crap--only 16 more and i hit 100. seriously, give me recommendations! lend me books! i must meet my goal!
david bezmogis' natasha and other stories
these stories all revolve around the berman family, russian immigrants to canada who are trying to adjust to their new lives (short stories that all revolve around a family are some of my favorites to read--very ellen gilchrist!). one is forced to wonder how autobiographical these stories are--the author himself came to canada from latvia as a boy. of course, the stories themselves are so well-written and homey that i quickly got caught up in them and stopped thinking about bezmogis. all of these stories are great, but the title story is particularly compelling, as the main character spends a lazy summer smoking pot and foolin' around with his uncle's new stepdaughter (i kind of don't like that the book jacket calls them cousins, since that makes it seem a lot more incestuous than it really is). the family relationships here are all very vivid and tangled, just like real life, and the only story that falls flat for me is the one about his grandmother's death, which for some reason is interspersed with the main character's trip to california to research a boxer. the final story, about elderly jews trying to get apartments and trying to keep their lives going, hit close to home and is probably my favorite of them all. so, yes, in case you can't tell, this book definitely deserves all the praise being heaped on it, and i highly recommend it.
david bezmogis' natasha and other stories
these stories all revolve around the berman family, russian immigrants to canada who are trying to adjust to their new lives (short stories that all revolve around a family are some of my favorites to read--very ellen gilchrist!). one is forced to wonder how autobiographical these stories are--the author himself came to canada from latvia as a boy. of course, the stories themselves are so well-written and homey that i quickly got caught up in them and stopped thinking about bezmogis. all of these stories are great, but the title story is particularly compelling, as the main character spends a lazy summer smoking pot and foolin' around with his uncle's new stepdaughter (i kind of don't like that the book jacket calls them cousins, since that makes it seem a lot more incestuous than it really is). the family relationships here are all very vivid and tangled, just like real life, and the only story that falls flat for me is the one about his grandmother's death, which for some reason is interspersed with the main character's trip to california to research a boxer. the final story, about elderly jews trying to get apartments and trying to keep their lives going, hit close to home and is probably my favorite of them all. so, yes, in case you can't tell, this book definitely deserves all the praise being heaped on it, and i highly recommend it.
not book related . . .
but a great story nonetheless:
secret cinema discovered in the catacombs of paris. (link via metafilter)
my favorite part is that there was a secret stocked bar next to the secret cinema, complete w/ "a pressure-cooker to make couscous."
also, the new issue of bookslut went up yesterday, which is book related, and which is always worth reading (especially the great review of book 77, here, and the column mocking planned film adaptations of books/comics, here).
secret cinema discovered in the catacombs of paris. (link via metafilter)
my favorite part is that there was a secret stocked bar next to the secret cinema, complete w/ "a pressure-cooker to make couscous."
also, the new issue of bookslut went up yesterday, which is book related, and which is always worth reading (especially the great review of book 77, here, and the column mocking planned film adaptations of books/comics, here).
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
book 83!
susanna clarke's jonathan strange and mr norrell
this book is being touted as a cross between harry potter and jane austen, or as harry potter for grownups. i suppose comparisons to harry potter are inevitable--the main characters are magicians, plus it really does hit that epic note that harry potter hits as well. the jane austen thing i get less, partially b/c i'm not really an austen fan--i think that's just due to the time period (1806-1817, more or less). but this is all beside the point! the point is that for me, this book lived up to all the raves i've been reading (or skimming, so as not to be overly influenced by any reviewers). yes, i told myself i'd stop reading at 11 b/c i have class in the morning, and then 11 came and i said, well, another half hour, and it kept on like that till finally i said, screw class, i want to know how this ends NOW!--as all the best books have made me feel. i can wholeheartedly recommend this to any fantasy lovers, any history lovers, anyone who loves a good story with interesting characters and lots of surprises and a satisfying feeling all around. it's 782 pages but it does go quickly! or maybe i'm just a nerd!
this book is being touted as a cross between harry potter and jane austen, or as harry potter for grownups. i suppose comparisons to harry potter are inevitable--the main characters are magicians, plus it really does hit that epic note that harry potter hits as well. the jane austen thing i get less, partially b/c i'm not really an austen fan--i think that's just due to the time period (1806-1817, more or less). but this is all beside the point! the point is that for me, this book lived up to all the raves i've been reading (or skimming, so as not to be overly influenced by any reviewers). yes, i told myself i'd stop reading at 11 b/c i have class in the morning, and then 11 came and i said, well, another half hour, and it kept on like that till finally i said, screw class, i want to know how this ends NOW!--as all the best books have made me feel. i can wholeheartedly recommend this to any fantasy lovers, any history lovers, anyone who loves a good story with interesting characters and lots of surprises and a satisfying feeling all around. it's 782 pages but it does go quickly! or maybe i'm just a nerd!
Monday, September 06, 2004
Sunday, September 05, 2004
random things
--just watched art spiegelman's talk at the strand--thank you, c-span book tv! it looks like the book is a large-format spiral-bound, which should suit nicely. i have to wait till wednesday for my copy and i'm not sure i can make it!
--4 or 5 of the top 100 downloads on itunes are from the garden state soundtrack. go zach braff! also re: zach braff, his brother has a book out now--i saw it yesterday--which apparently also features a psychologically cruel father (according to one review i saw, and darn if i can't remember where, it's less "zany" than garden state). yeah, now everyone is definitely going to wonder about their home life . . .
--4 or 5 of the top 100 downloads on itunes are from the garden state soundtrack. go zach braff! also re: zach braff, his brother has a book out now--i saw it yesterday--which apparently also features a psychologically cruel father (according to one review i saw, and darn if i can't remember where, it's less "zany" than garden state). yeah, now everyone is definitely going to wonder about their home life . . .
book 82
isaac bashevis singer's shosha
long weekends were made for rereading old favorites, and this story certainly falls into that category for me. it's a demented, tragic love story, the kind no one seems to write anymore. the main character of course is a writer who has semi-abandoned his strictly religious upbringing, and whose companions include other writers, weird actresses, communists, and the title character--a childhood friend who never grew up. pretty typical for pre-WWII warsaw. :) i'd say that this novel is less mystical than a lot of singer's shorter works, but of course many of the characters engage in frequent conversations about god, mediums, ghosts, and the like. anyway, it's hard to pin down this sort of story without giving too much of it away, so let me just note that it's one of singer's classic novels, and i'll leave it at that.
long weekends were made for rereading old favorites, and this story certainly falls into that category for me. it's a demented, tragic love story, the kind no one seems to write anymore. the main character of course is a writer who has semi-abandoned his strictly religious upbringing, and whose companions include other writers, weird actresses, communists, and the title character--a childhood friend who never grew up. pretty typical for pre-WWII warsaw. :) i'd say that this novel is less mystical than a lot of singer's shorter works, but of course many of the characters engage in frequent conversations about god, mediums, ghosts, and the like. anyway, it's hard to pin down this sort of story without giving too much of it away, so let me just note that it's one of singer's classic novels, and i'll leave it at that.
Saturday, September 04, 2004
amazon.com
amazon.com has posted their editors' picks for the year--interesting, since it's only september. here's their fiction list--surprisingly, i've only read two of them: mcsweeney's 13 and the peanuts 1950-1952 collection. interesting choices there, i have to say.
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